Now that Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone” has been officially announced as part of the Cannes Film Festival lineup we can start to get a little bit more excited about it (as if we weren’t excited already). If Audiard delivers here, it could mark another fine effort after the one-two punch of “A Prophet” and “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” and we’ve got high hopes for it as a result.

Now that Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone” has been officially announced as part of the Cannes Film Festival lineup we can start to get a little bit more excited about it (as if we weren’t excited already). If Audiard delivers here, it could mark another fine effort after the one-two punch of “A Prophet” and “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” and we’ve got high hopes for it as a result.

Starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts (“Bullhead”), the film will follow the relationship between a homeless man and a killer whale trainer who (SPOILER ALERT!) loses her legs in a horrific accident. The film will be competing for the Palme d’Or, and will hope to go one better than “A Prophet” which was edged out by “The White Ribbon” in a very strong 2009 festival (and Audiard is up against another Michael Haneke film this year, "Amour").

With Cannes just a few weeks away, expect to see a lot more material arriving for the films in competition – “Rust and Bone” has delivered with a batch of new images which you can check out below. Nothing particularly revelatory, but we do get our first look at the killer whale – so that’s something. The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 16-27. Sony Pictures Classics will release "Rust And Bone" later this year. [C7nema]